Ready to Talk to Strangers?

This is a class with two goals:
1. build an exhibit (as a group) that encourages strangers to talk to each other
2. design a social media plan (as an individual) for a museum exhibit, program, or initiative
That’s it. Do that, and you win.

On Monday, we discussed Groundswell and how to approach social media planning strategically. Everyone will soon be working with real live museums that are struggling to define some aspect of their existence in social media. Some clients have a well-developed idea of what they need, whereas others are looking for general ways to start exploring and playing in the world of the social web.

How can you develop a plan that will have the most likely specific value to the institution or initiative at hand? A strong social media plan should include:

the institution’s specific mission and audience goals. What is this museum or program all about? Who is the target audience? These questions should focus and filter your planning more than anything else.

the new relationships the institutions is seeking. How would the institution like to alter or strengthen its relationship with the target audience? What kind of relationship is sought? Relationship types may include: broadcasting, spreading, listening, sharing, embracing, energizing, supporting, research, exchange, conversation… Ideally, you will pick one or two relationships that seems appropriate to the mission and goals, although institutions that are looking at comprehensive media plans may need documentation and ideas in several relationship buckets.

the resources and restrictions of the institution. What resources (time, money, and people) does the museum have to support this effort? What rules or control issues may prevent certain kinds of interactions? What are they already doing, what have they tried, and where are they now? These questions should help you define a reasonable scope for the project and hone in on some tactics that may be more appropriate than others.

the intent of the institution. How will they manage, grow, and respond to their newly energized communities? This relates strongly to (2) and (3). You need to make sure you are recommending something that the museum can honestly, enthusiastically, and appropriately manage in the context of their work processes etc. This is very hard to ascertain from the outside, but asking questions like, “what will you do with visitors’ comments?” or “what will you do if someone posts something that is inaccurate?” can help.

the ideas. What are you recommending and why?

the startup needs. What will the museum have to do to get this going?

the promotion plan. How can the museum promote the project and reach out to the target audience?

the maintenance needs. What will the museum have to do to keep it going?

the evaluation plan. How will this project be tracked and tested against the goals? How will you establish benchmarks and a starting baseline?

I know this sounds like a lot. Parts 1-4 are functionally research elements — things you need to find out from your client and articulate in an understandable way as the basis for 5-9 (your ideas).

The first day of class is this Sunday. Here are a few key items to remember:

We will be meeting at the zoo in the Education Center. Go to the main entrance, tell them you are there for a class, and then go to the Ed Center, which is close to the entrance and well-marked. We will start at 3pm.

We will be doing the social object experiment on April 5. This will involve talking to strangers and making objects to connect strangers to each other. The zoo will be supplying us with some props, but I encourage you to bring any items you think will be useful to use in construction of social objects. Markers, cardboard, tape etc would be useful. Also, I hear that stuffed animals are very popular social objects at the zoo. Be creative.

You will need a way to document your experiments. You can use notebooks, cameras, phones, etc. Laptops are probably not great to lug around the zoo but feel free to bring yours for the other parts of the class (not necessary).

By April 6th, you will need to have read chapters 1-3 of Groundswell and documented your zoo experience.

For those who are interested, we’ll have dinner after class on the 5th. If you have a recommendation for a place, please leave it in the comments. I’m vegetarian but not militant.

My cell phone number is 831-331-5460 if you get lost or lonely on the 5th.

Nearby, excellent, and too small is Paseo’s. 4225 Fremont Ave. N., 206-545-7440. As mentioned, the place is way too small for even half the class, but I list it as an option in case we want to call in an order and eat at the zoo. It’s really good Carribbean food, great sandwiches and great sides. I can vouch for the amazing tofu and have heard endless compliments on the meat.

Also nearby and veg-friendly is Gordito’s. 213 N. 85th St. 206-706-9352. Somewhat larger establishment, affordable and tasty mexican. Haven’t been myself, but recall roommates who ate there religiously.

Another affordable, tasty and definitely large enough option is Zeke’s Pizza on Phinney.

Does Kitaro have real sushi (read:fish), too? If so I’d be up for that. I don’t eat near the zoo very often. If we wanted to migrate downtown or to Capitol Hill I’d be full of suggestions, though. Let me know.

Since we probably won’t have a good count on numbers until day of, let’s discuss this at some point in the afternoon and I can make a reservation while you are out slaving away talking to strangers. I mean, having fun and learning.

Jason took the bull by the horns and asked today if we should create a hashtag for Twitter related to this course. For those folks who don’t use Twitter, it’s a short messaging service that allows you to broadcast out short messages (“tweets”) about your real-time thoughts, inspirations, etc. A hashtag is a mutually agreed upon label used to link lots of tweets about the same topic together. The advantage of the hashtag is that it can allow tweets by multiple people to be aggregated in one feed.

Hashtags are usually short acronyms or words. We’re looking for one that can be more general than just this class, focusing on museum experiences that encourage you to talk to strangers. I blasted this question out to my Twitter audience:

Creative friends: ideas for a hashtag for a museum experiment in talking to strangers?

I just read over the framework for the Zoo social experiment on Museum 2.0– thought provoking. I already have a few ideas. Though it also prompted me to wonder, is the first class meeting at the Zoo, and am I the only one who didn’t know?

Apparently I will also have to aquaint my paleolithic cellular phone technology with Twitter, which so far I have only seen used for the power of evil: the incessant updating of facebook statuses and inane commentary on aggregate forums. I hope this new foray might provide evidence of the utility of ‘tweeting;’ right now I am dubious at best.

This is a blog for the spring 2009 University of Washington Museology course on Social Technology, taught by me, Nina Simon. This is a multi-author blog that will feature the hard work of lots of theoretically amazing students. I hope you will tune in, add your comments and insights, and help us all learn.

As you may know, I have some reservations about the value of museum graduate programs. I get nervous that they don’t a. prepare students for real jobs and b. encourage them to be crazy, imaginative beings. I am confronting these fears with the Social Technology course by a. requiring each student to do an individual project that is “high value” from a job prospect perspective and b. focusing on a truly crazy group project.

Thanks, Nina, for offering up this blog – so lurkers like me can follow along. As a museum professional who is engaged in social media, and always looking for new ways to use it (without a museum graduate degree) -I am really excited to see how the student projects compare to the real, crazy, imaginative world.

PS. My student assistant who will be in your class is simultaneously commenting here. We’re having a comment race.